'We didn't respond fast enough': Seattle lawmakers warn New York over Amazon

Council members urge New Yorkers to demand concessions like labor standards before company gains foothold in city

Two lawmakers from Amazon's hometown in Seattle traveled to New York on Monday to warn the city of potential unintended consequences of the tech company's planned new headquarters.

Lisa Herbold and Teresa Mosqueda, members of Seattle's city council, addressed a summit of activist groups fighting Amazon's plan for a new campus in Long Island City, Queens. They told the New Yorkers that Amazon's presence in the west coast city had driven up housing costs, that the company had ducked efforts to make them help pay to address the crisis, and that they should resist it.